In His Quest For A New Inquisition, Is Bryan Fischer Leaving A Trail of Tears?

In all the discussions about the European settlement of the New World, one feature has been conspicuously absent: the role that the superstition, savagery and sexual immorality of native Americans played in making them morally disqualified from sovereign control of American soil.

- Bryan Fischer, Feb. 9, AFA blog

The American Family Association has had to apologize for its statements on just about everyone: Jews, gays, African Americans and Muslims. It was, therefore, just a matter of time before they said something derogatory about Native Americans. 

Bryan Fischer's diatribe on Native Americans is almost in the same class of religious intolerance as his statements about Muslims (especially how it would be the "compassionate" thing to do to deport all of them). And while some academics argue that the primary gifts of the missionaries to the Natives in the New World were measles and syphilis, Fischer will have you think that his latest admonition, is somehow truly, er,  Christian. Yes, people, it is truly a WTF moment!

Some responders to his latest broadcast/blog:

This can't be a legit article. It really can't. I'm not saying nobody could come to the pathetic conclusions that the author did, but to publish it on a site associated with family values? Did we skip ahead to April 1st?

"Grandson, there are too many White People, and not enough Human Beings." ~ "Little Big Man"

So people who killed Indians were doing the Lord's work, clearly. Is it still OK to kill Indians? Please let us know ASAP so we know how to proceed...

And this, from young conservative (American Family Association  blogger and radio host!)  Elijah Freideman:

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it

COMPARISONS


In the past, Bryan Fischer has shown himself to have the basic philosophy of "Only white Christians need apply," denigrating  people of color, gays and Muslims. Appearing on his daily radio talk show (sponsored by the American Family Association) has become a badge of honor for some Right Wing proponents who are not afraid to state their views, even if those views are tinged with bigotry. Ever since Tony Perkins (Family Research Council) gave Fischer his imprimatur by having Fischer speak at the hallowed Values Voter Summit, the extreme Right has dared to make forays into dark territory on Fischer's show.


There are some odd parallels we can see in Fischer's philosophy: Queen Isabella and Michele Malkin:

Queen Isabella of Castille, under direction of her confessor, Torquemada, enabled the horrific Inquisition and expelled Moors and Jews from Spain. Operating with a "convert or die" dictum, Isabella was quiet, but ruthless: thousands died during her reign and 200,000 Jews were exiled. More than anything, however, the  torture and murder were power grabs by her and her husband, King Ferdinand, in their religious zealotry to make the kingdom "one nation, one religion." Isabella may have felt like a latter day Constantine*, for she was never bothered by the carnage that resulted.

Michele Malkin must have certainly been in agreement with Fischer (no word as yet from her, but there surely will be). She was, after all, as disgusted by the reference to Native American religions at the Tucson memorial:

"Native American gives rambling speech while holding a feather. His remarks are frequently interrupted by whoops and cheers. He gives a shout-out to his son serving in Afghanistan. Brags about Mexican background. Babble about two-legged and four-legged creatures and the feminine energy that comes from Mother Earth. Mercy."

The other rather oxymoronic(sic) trait by Malkin is that, although she herself could be considered an anchor baby (parentage originated in the Philippines), she despises other ethnic groups: her book, In Defense of Internment: The Case for "Racial Profiling" in World War II and the War On Terror, re-envisions the Japanese Internment camp Manzanar as a voluntary, fun-filled resort. And given Malkin's propensity for torture, she too would love to see a latter-day Inquisition for anyone she does not consider "American" enough.

FISCHER'S TRAIL OF TEARS (AND INADVERTENT LAUGHTER)

The American Family Association has, for years, suffered after the onslaughts of Fischer's inane diatribes, but, since they seem to be a rather dimwitted lot, they have never attempted to remove him from his post as Chief Inquisitor. He was, of course, the sole personality responsible for the AFA being named a Hate Group by the SPLC. He has opined on the advantages of shooting bears (randomly, it seems) at Yosemite. He has mocked a man for his laxity in not paying a surtax, thus culminating in his house completely burning down while firefighters looked on and laughed. He has heartily given credence to Holocaust and Third Reich history revisionist Scott Lively. Yet he still remains and his wrists show no signs of being slapped.

How or why America takes this "convert or die" pundit seriously is actually a matter of grave concern for he really is the stuff of righteous assassination. But until this man falls into the oblivion that is self-righteousness, I suppose the only thing we can do (effectively) is to laugh at him: what surprisingly cruel, callous, bigoted thing will he say next? Will someone put together a compendium of his most ridiculous quotes? Will Tony Perkins crown him King of Right Wingnuts? 

*After Constantine recognized a certain form of Christianity (not Arian Christianity), many Christians turned on their enemies (esp. the ones who would not convert) and placed them in concentration camps, and either burned their major temples, turned them into churches, or "converted" into brothels. (Sorry) 

The AFA and The Muslim Question: Deportation, Reservations, Concentration Camps or Gas Ovens?

Or Should We Have A Combination Of All Four?

When will the Southern Poverty Law Center list the American Family Association as a hate group? With the latest news, that sobriquet might not be long in coming.

Read this and weep ... for the  demise of America's compassion:

Right Wing Watch

[T]he most compassionate thing we can do for Americans is to bring a halt to the immigration of Muslims into the U.S. This will protect our national security and preserve our national identity, culture, ideals and values. Muslims, by custom and religion, are simply unwilling to integrate into cultures with Western values and it is folly to pretend otherwise. In fact, they remain dedicated to subjecting all of America to sharia law and are working ceaselessly until that day of Islamic imposition comes.

The most compassionate thing we can do for Muslims who have already immigrated here is to help repatriate them back to Muslim countries, where they can live in a culture which shares their values, a place where they can once again be at home, surrounded by people who cherish their deeply held ideals. Why force them to chafe against the freedom, liberty and civil rights we cherish in the West?

In other words, simple Judeo-Christian compassion dictates a restriction and repatriation policy with regard to Muslim immigration into the U.S.

The reasoning is warped, but neither criticism nor censure can stop Brian Fischer from realizing his dream of a strictly "Christian-only" America. Look at the quote again: it contains "national identity," "Islamic imposition" "a culture which shares their values," and "chafe against freedom." 


My writing has been criticised for using the (legitimate) word, "Christofascism." But I can't describe Fischer's idea in any other way. Reading between the lines , it's too obvious and makes  "The Jewish Question" look positively benign. This "modest proposal" is clear: "Hate Muslims. Muslims won't convert. All Muslims want to kill you. Muslims want to take over the world. Let them stick to their own kind or die." Fischer bases his entire stance on the research of Danish psychologist, Nicolai Sennels. Sennels chronicled the attitudes of Muslim criminals in Copenhagen. It basically matches up to profiling African-Americans in prison in this country.

While the website of the AFA has a kind of disclaimer ("(It should be noted that the American Family Association has not taken a position on this issue."), it hasn't come out against Fischer's blatantly Christofascist ideas either. And among his supporters (if she isn't, she will be) Michelle Malkin will become his media guru, helping to pave a smooth road to Fox News.

Fischer ended his article on deportation with an old maxim:  

It's often been observed that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. We are watching a dismal historical experiment in uncontrolled Islamic immigration unfold before our very eyes in Europe, and watching European culture disintegrate before our very eyes. Let's learn - and apply - the lessons from Europe. If we do not, it may soon be too late to save what is left of American culture.

But Fischer has yet to learn from history.

Setting aside the obvious parallels to Fascism, the Holocaust, and (Michelle Malkin's favorite spa/resort) Manzanar, let's look at America's most famous and first foray into mass deportation, also known as The Trail of Tears.

The Indian Removal Act
(wikipedia)

The Indian Removal Act, part of a United States government policy known as Indian removal, was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 26, 1830

The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the "Five Civilized Tribes". In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in a contentious jurisdictional dispute with the Cherokee nation. President Jackson hoped removal would resolve the Georgia crisis. The Indian Removal Act was also very controversial. While Native American removal was, in theory, supposed to be voluntary, in practice great pressure was put on Native American leaders to sign removal treaties. Most observers, whether they were in favor of the Indian removal policy or not, realized that the passage of the act meant the inevitable removal of most Indians from the states.

But did the Trail of Tears have "simple Judeo-Christian compassion"? Or Brian Fischer or Michelle Malkin to publicize its "compassion"? Fischer's irrational statements leave something to be desired. Humanity, possibly? Or has uprooting families from their homes and forcing them to abandon friends, families, careers, worldy belongings, education, all those things that attracted them to immigrate to this country suddenly have God's compassionate permission? 

And how do Muslim-Americans feel about people like Fischer?

James Zogby, American Muslim:

But the danger remains and the possibility of violence is real. And those in respected leadership roles need to recognize that, in the current environment, playing with matches can start fires. We’ve seen the ugly racist placards, heard the chants and shouted epithets, and witnessed the raw anger at rallies. Can violence be far behind?

Suddenly Fischer's "benign" proposal asks more questions that it answers:

1. Just WHO will be deported? Since being Muslim is advocating a religion and not a nationality, we have many, many people who are citizens of the United States. Do we deport only Iraqi-Americans? Turkish-Americans? Saudi-Americans? Lebanese-Americans? Pakistani-Americans? Egyptian-Americans?Algerian-Americans? Albanian-Americans? Indonesian-Americans? Libyan-Americans? The list could go on. It would be convenient to lump them all into  "would-be terrorists,"  but Americans would start seeing law-abiding, legal citizens hauled off for no apparent reason. AFA answer: who cares?

2. How would Muslim properties be sold, distributed and used? In the early days of Christianity, pagan temples were turned into churches or brothels. Will mosques be turned into unusual-looking WalMarts? (The most practical solution, I suppose). AFA answer: the compassionate thing to do would be to turn them into churches, but brothels would be more profitable.

3. Will Muslims who convert to Christianity still be forced out? If not, will there be a tribunal of sorts to ferret out "fake" Christians? Many Jews pretended to be converted in "Good Queen" Isabella's Spain - they were called "muranos." And if "fake" Christians are deported, won't they be killed as apostates? AFA Answer: Again, who cares?

4. Will Muslims, like the Japanese during WWII, be forced to sell their properties in a scant three days? Will there be a regulation stating that only true "Christians" (Like Pat Robertson) may purchase the land (at bargain basement rates). AFA Answer: Of course! This is a Christian Nation!!

5. Will the number of Muslims to be deported (estimated to be in the neighborhood of 4 million Americans) be too taxing for the economy to handle their deportation without considering alternatives? In other words, will outright extermination be cheaper? AFA Answer: we're thinking about it. Creativity is the key word here, so don't rush us.

Now comes the question: which religious group will be next? AFA Answer: whichever group we  hate.